Former ‘Top Chef: Just Desserts’ Contestant Indicted on Child Porn Charges

Former “Top Chef: Just Desserts” contestant Morgan Wilson has been indicted on felony child pornography charges.  Wilson, who was a finalist on the first season of the Bravo reality cooking competition, was indicted Oct. 6 on three second-degree felony charges of possession with intent to promote child pornography, according to the Plano, Texas Star-Courier.  The 38-year-old chef, who lives in Plano, is due in court Oct. 27.

Wilson was first arrested on Dec. 7, 2010 after undercover investigators say they received several file transfers from Wilson via a peer-to-peer file-sharing service.  Those files, received in Sept. 2010, allegedly contained images and videos of children, some as young as toddlers, engaged in sexual acts.  Police subsequently searched Wilson’s home, where they say he signed and dated pornographic images he admitted he’d viewed.  Wilson’s laptop computer and external hard drives also were confiscated.  He was released on $10,000 bail following his December arrest and ordered not to use computers without supervision.

Wilson reportedly works as the executive pastry chef at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Dallas, though his name does not appear on the hotel’s website.  He also has a young son, about whom he often spoke during his Top Chef: Just Desserts “confessional” segments.